Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.
Required skills
analytical skills to interpret briefs, work instructions, and technical and conceptual information
communication skills to:
check and confirm design requirements
provide practical advice, support and feedback to colleagues and management
translate design requirements into specifications
literacy and numeracy skills to:
develop game design and technical design documents
write instructions for the normal and competent operation and testing of all game features and permutations
planning and organisational skills to:
organise equipment and resources to achieve required outcomes
organise own time to meet milestones
problem-solving skills to recognise and address potential quality issues and problems at design development stage
research skills to undertake practical, technical and desktop research
teamwork skills to contribute to and work in a collaborative team
technology skills to use correct file formats and archiving procedures.
Required knowledge
computer game development, including specific terminology
current game-play hardware and software products
technical constraints that hardware imposes on software development, graphics requirements, code development and creative visual design
techniques for applying concept development skills
techniques for applying concept visualisation skills.
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Research techniques may include: | conducting surveys and interviews to collect primary data conducting technical experiments and tests developing concept sketches playing games reviewing literature for suitable storylines reviewing secondary sources of information in books, journals, newspapers and on the internet viewing film and performance. |
Target market for the game may include: | age-specific consumer segments: children adolescents adults educational market segments gender-specific consumer segments. |
Game genre may include: | adventure alternative reality ancient casino cyberpunk educational edutainment fantasy first person shooter flight shooter flight simulation futuristic god simulation massively multi-player online game massively multi-player online role-playing game medieval modern multi-player post-apocalyptic puzzle racing shooter racing simulation real-time strategy role-playing game science fiction side-scrolling shooter single player sports strategy, including: action strategy turn-based strategy tactical combat. |
Game platform may include: | arcade console platforms: Microsoft Xbox 360 Nintendo DS (hand-held) Nintendo Wii Sony PlayStation hand-held digital device platforms: Apple IIe, C, C+ Apple IIGS Blackberry BREW Flashlite J2ME Java Palm OS Sidekick Symbian WAP Windows Mobile PC web. |
Game engine may include: | BigWorld Blender3D Dunia Half Life Jade Quake Riot Scimitar Second Life Unreal. |
Concept art may include: | illustrations models settings sketches storyboards. |
Storylines may involve: | adventure back-story cinematics (cut scenes) heroes journey key features (edge) level diagrams missions narrative scripted dialogue scripts storyboards. |
Characters and environment may include: | backgrounds environments lighting main characters scenery secondary characters terrain textures. |
Game-play elements may include: | buildings command cooperation core game play damage states edge enemies fight game flow player activity shoot special talents: magic power steer switches terrain objects transformations transportation traps weapons. |
Graphical user interface elements may include: | buttons and button clicks command acknowledgements edit boxes file saving and loading icons list boxes markers menus options and settings picture boxes pointers radio buttons scroll bars shell splash screens text boxes window opening Windows. |
Sounds and music may include: | ambient sounds cinematic soundtracks event jingles intellectual property protection level themes musical compositions radio chatter situational music sound effects voice wind, rain and storms. |
Operating system may include: | Linux Macintosh PC Unix. |
Code may include: | code libraries code objects control loop operating system code. |
Game physics may include: | collision combat: blood spots debris explosions footprints salvo smoke and fire sparks water wreckage movement: creaking floors footfalls puddle stepping wading wind. |
Artificial intelligence may include: | decisions movement pathfinding reactions simulated intelligence situations statistics target selection tests and events for reactionary behaviour. |
Sound engineering requirements may include: | data path direct memory access (DMA) file requirements mixing multiple channels sample lengths sample rates sound definitions third-party drivers. |
Testing game prototype may involve play test procedures, such as: | determining criteria for measurement of success with a given audience monitoring player frustration, progress and enjoyment selecting test subjects testing game with target market and other diverse populations. |
Game features may include: | edge fun originality playability. |
Resources may include: | game assets (collateral) hardware money personnel software time. |
Schedule may include: | allocating work tasks in consultation with other team members analysing key requirements of the brief assessing concept viability against resource availability conducting risk assessment regarding possible issues and constraints and potential solutions creating an overall project plan and schedule determining workflow with consideration to available resources identifying key milestones and associated deliverables: alpha version - pre-production beta version - playable prototype gold version - completed game trialling and testing identifying stakeholders and devising strategies to meet stakeholder needs identifying the critical path researching background information setting project objectives against achievable timeframes. |
Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.
Observation Checklist